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Independent Living News & Policy from the National Council on Independent Living

Action Alert: Save the ADA – H.R. 620 to Be Voted on Next Week!

The House of Representatives is planning to vote on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Education and Reform Act (H.R. 620) next week! That means we only have a week to stop this terrible bill.

Take Action Now!

Contact your Representative today and urge them to vote NO on H.R. 620. All Representatives can be reached through the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or (202) 224-3091 (TTY). You can find additional contact information and direct numbers at contactingcongress.org. You can also use Resistbot to turn texts into faxes, mail, or hand-delivered letters, fax your members of Congress (use faxzero.com to find their fax number), or contact your Representative on social media with contact information from Contacting Congress.

NCIL logo - National Council on Independent LivingKeep your message simple. Use the background information below to discuss the dangers of this bill, and share your personal stories about how the ADA provides you greater access to your community! And, let them know that their disabled constituents will be watching how they vote and will hold them accountable!

Note: All Representatives need to hear from us, but we have included a list of particularly important targets below.

Background Information

H.R. 620 would create additional barriers to seeing our rights enforced under the ADA and make it harder to participate in mainstream society. Importantly, H.R. 620 would not solve the problems it claims to address. It would not stop fraudulent lawsuits or demand letters, but it would weaken the civil rights of people with disabilities! Moreover, it would eliminate any reason for businesses to comply with the ADA unless they receive a legal notice first. 

You can find additional information by looking at the following resources:

Priority Targets

Reminder: all Representatives need to hear from us, but the Representatives listed below are especially urgent targets.

State delegations:

  • Arizona
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Florida
  • Illinois
  • Nevada
  • New Mexico
  • Oregon
  • Texas

Specific members:

Alabama: Terri Sewell (Cosponsor)

Arizona: Kyrsten Sinema (Cosponsor)

California:

  • Pete Aguilar (Cosponsor)
  • Ami Bera (Cosponsor)
  • Luis Correa (Cosponsor)
  • Jim Costa (Cosponsor)
  • Zoe Lofgren
  • Scott Peters (Cosponsor)
  • Jackie Speier (Cosponsor)

Colorado: Jared Polis

Florida: Stephanie Murphy

Illinois: Bill Foster (Cosponsor)

Nevada: Jacky Rosen

New Mexico: Collin Peterson

New York: Kathleen Rice (Cosponsor)

Oregon: Kurt Schrader

Pennsylvania:

  • Mike Doyle
  • Dwight Evans

Texas: Henry Cuellar (Cosponsor)

Comments

  1. My name is Michael Williams and I work for Community Access Unlimited (CAU). I am the Community Organizer at CAU and I run an advocacy group called New American Movement for People with Disabilities (NAMPWD or NAM). Our advocacy group is composed of individuals with disabilities (self-advocates), and we represent hundreds of voting individuals with disabilities. NAM is committed to changing the social, political, and economic structure of our society so that every individual can live in society with pride and equality regardless of gender orientation, religion, income, or disability status.
    Please oppose H.R. 620! It would create additional barriers to seeing our rights enforced under the ADA and make it harder to participate in mainstream society. Importantly, H.R. 620 would not solve the problems it claims to address. It would not stop fraudulent lawsuits or demand letters, but it would weaken the civil rights of people with disabilities! Moreover, it would eliminate any reason for businesses to comply with the ADA unless they receive a legal notice first.